Apparatus for refining oils



March 16 1926. 1,576,742

' W. T. HANCOCK ET AL APPARATUS FOR REFINING OILS Filed Oct. 8, 1923 Mar 2 50 I6. 5r ramp/5K men STATES 'rnn mecca: Ann Inner Bonn, on Kansas crrY; anssounrg Patented Mar; 16, 1926.

'PATENTfo FIcE.

Arrmrus roa nm'mme one application filed October 8 1928. serial lo. 887,281.

' 1T0 alliw ltoim z't'my mm i Be it known that we, WILLLm Tun HAN- coc and] United. Statafssj residingat Kansas City, in

Munx'r BOYLE. "citizens of the the connty ackson and Stateof Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus'for Refining Oils;

and wedo declare thefollowingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same,'r'eference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for 'refinin heavy hydrocarbon oils to produce oils ,0 lower specific gravities. In other words, the invention relates to an apparatus for converting heavy hydrocarbon oils into lighter hydrocarbon oils to produce a product commerciall known as gasoline.

The invention dlfiGI'S essentlally from other apparatuses known to us in that it com rehends the use of super-heated steam as the solemedium for raising the temperature of the-oil. y

We are aware that prior to our invention has been introduced into cracking systems at various steps in the cycle of,operations' but we are not aware that prior to our invention super-heated steam has been used to co-mingle withthe heavy oils and, as the heating medium, provide the necessary temperature andpressure to cause the oil to crack.

' The invention will be clearl understood by reference to the following escri tion in connection with the accompanying rowing, in which The figure is a diagrammatic view of an apparatusfor carrying out our invention, the still and the tower being shown in vertical, longitudinal section. I

ferrmg now to the drawing by numerals of reference:

' 1 designates a'boiler from which the steam will be delivered at a working pressure of about 1500 pounds (approximately 815 depipe 4 and discharging into the respective ends 5 and 6 of the still 2.-

The still 2 is a shell and has longitudinally disposed tubes 8 therein supported at the still so that t e spaces 5 and 6 are large enough to provide steam spaces .to feed the open ends'of. the tubes 8. The tubes are persteam into the oil chamber 12. The. oil is fed into the oil chamber through a pipe 13 .and we prefer. to introduce-the oil into the and 6 into the pipes and co-mingle with the 011 at venyhigh pressure and temperature,

- ends by the crown sheets 9 and 10, the crown sheets beings ced from the ends of the "iterate, the per-forations'll admitting the i causing the oil to separate into oils of dif- I ferent specific gravitics. The va ors will pass through the central outlet 14 1n the oil chamber through an elongated, vertical vapor chamber or separation chamber shown as a tower 15 where the heavier ends of the distillates will be condensed to gravitate back into the still, the lighter ends passing off through the outlet l6 into the condenser- 17 through a pipe 18, the condensed vapors passing t' product sought.

'The initial boiling point of the product will be about 130 F. and the end proximately 430 F If the steam is introduced into the still at about 1500 pounds working pressure, the temperature of this superheated steam will point apbe about815 F. plus, or 1368 B. t. u. per

pound of steam. If 85 allons of feed water per hour is used, the oiler will generate 93,000 pounds of steam and, obviously 93,000 pounds of steam per hour at 1500 pounds working pressure will crack 1,060 gallons of commercial gravity oil into 95% of the volume. 1 g

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the incoming oil will be subjected to the action of the highly super-heated steam at very high pressure and s1nce it is well known that the higher the temperature and pressure of steam, the greater the efficiency, it

will be apparent that theoil can be cracked in a hi hly eflicient manner.

We ave specifically set the pressure at 1500 pounds and the temperature at 815 degrees but we do not wish to be limited to these exact pressuresand tem. erature because we comprehend that the methodmay rough the condenser 17 being the be carried out satisfactorily by introducing steam at from 1000 to 2000 pounds pressure and from 600 to 1000 degrees F.

The oil is supplied to the still at about 800 degrees F., then the steam pressure is turned on, the separation taking place in the vapor chamber or tower l5.

The higher pressures and temperatures may requlre special boilers but there are now in existence boilers which are capable of generating steam up to 1500 pounds working pressure so We recommend this pressure as being within commercial possibilities.

Suitable valves may be provided whereever desired; for example, we have shown valves 19 and 20, the former for controlling the flow of steam and the latter for the condenser.

Attention is also called to the fact that the steam issuing from the perforations 11 in the pipes 8 has the effect of providing separate stream lines of steam for the oil, the steam passing in all directions so as to penetrate the oil and quickly raise it to a cracking temperature; the pressure,of course, being enough to cause the heavy oils to quickly be converted into lighter end vapors.

If the method is carried out in accordance with our invention there will be practically no coke or carbon formed; therefore, the

process may be carried on over long periods ecause there will be no shutdowns for the removal of coke. Since the use of dry heat is eliminated, therecwill be no danger of burning the still; consequently, liability of weakening of the still from this cause will be eliminated.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a system for converting heavy hydrocarbon oils into lighter hydrocarbon oils, the combination with a horizontal still having perforate pipes running longitudinally thereof, crown-sheets supporting the ends of the pipes, the crown sheets being spaced from the ends of the still to provide steam spaces at the respective ends thereof, steam inlets at'the respective ends of the still, a separator chamber connected to the upper portion of the still, and a condenser connected to the top of the separating chamber.

2. In a system for converting heavy h-ydrocarbon oils into lighter hydro-carbon oils, a horizontal shell still, divided into a central oil space and two end steam spaces, twosets of longitudinally disposed pipes in the oil space, each set communicating with one of the two end steam spaces, the portions of the pipes within the oil space having their walls perforated, a separation chamber connected to the upper portion of the still, a condenser connect-ed to the separation chamber, and a high pressure boiler having means of communication with the steam spaces whereby steam. may be admitted to the oil at abnormal temperatures and pressures.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

W ILLIAM TEE HANCOCK. MURAT BOYLE. 

